Test Subject D
by Hordepally
Summary: SPOOF. The Joker breaks out of Arkham only to find an old "friend" awaiting him. However she's changed. A LOT. Deals with characters from "Irredeemable and "Chasing Torment" but this is NOT a sequel.OC/Violence/Sex/Language
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Ok, this is a **SPOOF**. It is **NOT** a sequel. Don't take it seriously. I wrote it for fun and as a nod to the zombie/horror genre. I'll probably come out with a real sequel eventually.

Props to Redjackpirate for giving me the idea for this story. What started as a simple off the cuff comment turned into...uh..._this_. Thanks!

We start the story with the Joker being sprung from Arkham asylum by his men. He's been a patient there for a few months.

**CHAPTER ONE**

He paced impatiently, wishing he could see through the glass that made up the front of his cell.

Why couldn't they hurry?

Gunshots rang out and a loud voice whooped in glee.

They were in. Now all he had to do was wait for them to open the door. His pacing accelerated.

A few minutes later a buzzer sounded and he heard the electronic lock on his cell door unlatch. Slowly the door opened to reveal what remained of his crew. They gaped at him and he cursed inwardly. He was wearing the typical garb of Arkham patients, his hair was a normal color. The long months of being on various psychotropic drugs had taken their toll on him, made him feel frail and dull. And no makeup. This was bad for his image.

He looked out over his men, slightly nodding his head in approval. "Nice job. Now one of you bring me my clothes. They should be in the storage room down the hall. And make it fast, hm?"

One of them nodded eagerly and dashed down the hall. A moment later he reappeared carrying a handful of purple and green fabric. The Joker took it from him and began to undress, heedless of the men looking away in discomfort.

When he was dressed he led the way down the hall. Someone handed him a gun.

"Boss there's a naked crazy woman wandering around in here somewhere." the one who gave him the gun confided. This man was one of his old crew members, from before he'd been put in Arkham. The Joker thought his name was Glen but he wasn't sure. The fact Glen had survived this long was amazing.

"So? Probably a patient."

"Nope, don't think so. She came in right behind us. When we showed up she was roaming around outside. Cut up real bad. And get this...."

"What?" the Joker asked impatiently. He didn't have time to hear any stories. He had a lot to do. Getting out of here being the first thing.

"Well....she was _biting_ people."

The Joker stopped and turned to look at the man. _"Biting people?_" he repeated incredulously.

"Yeah she grabbed an orderly and started knawing on him." the man laughed. "Crazy bitch I tell ya. We shot him to make it easier for her but then she just dropped him and went after a doctor. Grabbed him and started fucking _chewing_ on him."

The Joker didn't know what to think about this. "Hm."

"Here's the thing though....she looks just like....."

At that moment a noise grabbed his attention. A small creak down the hallway. The Joker lifted his gun, licking his lips in anticipation of some action. It had been too long.

And then he saw her. She emerged from a nurse's station, paused, and began to make her way towards them. Something was clenched in her hand. No, she was dragging something along with her.

She was pulling the body of a doctor with her. Her hand was buried in the doctor's hair and she pulled the lifeless form effortlessly.

"That's her!" Glen whispered excitedly, as if there might be more nude women lugging dead bodies around Arkham Asylum.

Closer and closer she came, her skin stark white under the fluorescent lights. Her strides were even and confident. Closer. The Joker and his men were frozen, transfixed by the bizarre sight.

"Do you see who she looks like?" Glen whispered.

Indeed he did. But she didn't just look like her, it _was_ her.

Hands shaking, the Joker lowered his gun.

"Samantha? Is that you?"

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He'd known it all along....she was alive and she'd come for him. It didn't explain why she was naked and had a dead body with her but none of that mattered. S_he was alive. _

At the mention of her name her eyes flickered uncertainly and she paused a couple of feet from him. Her hands and mouth were smeared crimson with blood and he saw that she had a large Y shaped scar that started at the top of each shoulder and ended at her pubic bone. The wound had been crudely stitched back together. The Joker recognized it as an autopsy incision and his confusion grew.

Her long hair was matted and wild, eyes dim and glazed, the vivid green color gone. But it was her. She bore the initial he'd carved into her shin and the gunshot to her side, the dog bite was there too.

He frowned. Those wounds had been inflicted months ago. They should have been healed, instead they were fresh and vivid against her skin.

"What is this?" he asked her. "What's happened to you?"

Samantha didn't respond. She took a few more steps and then a look of pure bewilderment came across her face, as if she'd just woke up and had no idea where she was. Her grip on the doctor's hair loosened and he hit the floor with a dull thump. Then she began to tremble and before he could react she fell against him limply. He caught her before she fell, grasping her beneath the arms. She was in shock he ascertained. She needed to be covered up. Besides, the idea of her unclothed before the crude gaze of his minions troubled him.

"Go get the clothes I took off in the cell." he ordered Glen.

Glen complied and handed them to the Joker. He tried to push them into her hands.

"Put these on Sam. You have to cover up." he told her.

Samantha didn't acknowledge the clothes or his words, but her dead eyes were still locked on his face. Sighing in frustration he dressed her himself and she was as cooperative as a doll the entire time.

As much as he wanted to know what the hell was going on there was no time to question her further. They had to get out of here before the GCPD arrived.

"Let's go." he commanded his men, motioning for them to move.

"What about _her?_" one of them asked, eyeing Samantha apprehensively.

"Her? Oh, she's coming with us." The Joker answered, snaking an arm around her waist. "She just saved me the trouble of looking for her. Looks like she enjoyed our time together after all. Didn't you Sam? Otherwise you wouldn't have come here, would you?" He grinned at her wickedly, tightening his grip on her.

Normally Samantha would have had something to say, or at least reacted to his words. Not now. She continued to stare him down, her face now oddly serene. She allowed him to pull her along, keeping pace easily. Something else struck him then.

She'd had a limp when he grabbed her on the street so long ago and every day since then. It was practically her trademark. And now the limp was gone.

Something was very wrong here.

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**A/N: **So yeah...I'm just having a bit of fun with this. I wanted to do something different. Like I said before, this is NOT a sequel and is a homage to horror movies like "Reanimator", "The Thing" and so on. Not to be taken seriously, haha. And hey, Sam's alive in this one! Well...sort of.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **There's sex in this chapter so if you get skeeved out easily just remember I warned you. It isn't that graphic but Sam is undead so that might disturb or offend some people, haha.

And again, this is not a sequel and not to be taken seriously. Just having some fun!

**CHAPTER TWO**

Glen watched Samantha closely on the ride to the hideout. He'd been the man she'd ran into the night the Joker let her outside the warehouse for a while and he was one of the men who'd dragged her to the utility room when she'd went crazy and started beating people with a board.

She'd seemed like a nice girl and he couldn't help but sympathize with her. To attract the attention of someone like the Joker...that wasn't good. The things she'd probably had to endure...he couldn't imagine. And now....well he didn't know what to think. Had she went crazy?

And that scar across her front. She looked as bad as the Joker now. Just the sight of her made him shudder.

His boss didn't seem to mind, he actually appeared thrilled to have her back. He stared at her with a peculiar expression Glen had never seen on him before. If his boss wasn't such a monster it might have been sweet.

Glen wasn't a very bright man but he knew something was very wrong with Samantha. He vowed to not get within ten feet of her unless he absolutely had to.

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The hideout was an old two story farmhouse on the rural outskirts of Gotham. The Joker's men had made sure the electricity and water were working, just like he'd told them. He had his suit and makeup and weapons. So far everything was going nicely. Except for Sam. A small bit of concern nagged at him. He wasn't the type of man to sit around and over analyze things but the way she showed up at Arkham, the timing of her arrival, the way she acted, the fact she'd been _attacking_ people....it was too weird. She was unable to answer questions. In fact she hadn't said a word since he'd seen her. This woman didn't even seem like Sam, but it was obviously her.

That night he watched the news with satisfaction. His escape had thrown the city into a panic and the newscasters were doing a fine job of fearmongering, as usual. An escape from Level Three at Arkham had been unheard of up until today. The second news story was about a chemical spill at a Gotham lab. The place did research on human bodies and animals. After the spill a fire had broken out in the facility, destroying a good portion of it. A few workers were mysteriously killed, cause of death not yet determined. At least one cadaver missing. The lab was located less than a mile from Arkham.

Hmm.

He looked over to Sam, who was sitting next to him on the couch. She was looking at the tv and smiling, the first emotion he'd seen from her since they'd found her at Arkham. The news report seemed to have brightened her up.

"So Sammm, what exactly happened to you? Seems like if you were gonna rescue me you'd at least put clothes on." He eyed her up and down and ran an eager tongue over his lips. Despite her wounds he still liked what he saw. Quite a bit actually. "Not that I minded."

Her head twisted to face him. For a moment she didn't seem to comprehend what he'd said, then her smile widened and she leaned close to him.

"I ....was asleep and then, then I woke.....up." she whispered. Her voice was a sibilant rasp, as if she hadn't spoken in a long time.

"It finally talks!" he beamed sarcastically. "About time, you were getting a little boring."

Her hand clamped on his forearm. Jesus, he didn't remember her being this strong. Her grip was like a metal band tightening around him.

"I woke up." she continued urgently. "And then...." she frowned, trying to remember. "Some people were there. I was hungry. Very hungry."

She nodded eagerly at him, to make sure he got what she was saying.

The Joker arched his eyebrows, already seeing where this was going. "And thennn?"

"And then I ate."

'She's lost her fucking mind.' he thought with a mix of trepidation and amusement.

"Well, what did you eat Sam?"

She looked at him mischievously. "Them. The people."

For once in his life the Joker was at a loss for words. Only for a moment though.

"You came to Arkham, why?"

"I knew you were there." she seemed to be more comfortable with speaking. "I wanted to visit you."

"Mmm-hmm. How, um, _sweet_ of you to want to visit me. And that big scar on your chest, how did that happen?"

She glanced down and shrugged. "Don't know. It was like that when I....woke up."

An idea came to him then. A stupid one but he had to do it.

"Be still a second. I want to try something."

He put his hand over her mouth. She was breathing, but her breath was cool. He put a finger over her pulse. Nothing. Finally he put his head to her chest. She stiffened at that but he ignored her reaction. No heartbeat.

"Sam." he finally said. "Did you know that you're dead?"

She blinked at him. "No."

"Well, ah....you are."

She chewed her lip thoughtfully. "But I feel fine."

"Well that doesn't change the fact that you are dead."

Her brow furrowed in confusion, then she seemed to shake it off and started smiling again.

"Do you remember _anything_ before waking up?"

She slowly shook her head. "No. I mean I don't think so."

He debated telling her about how she got shot and decided against it for the moment. Right now he had a more important question.

"Um Sam....are you hungry now?"

"No. I ate a LOT today." The smile widened on her face.

"Oookay then. Good." he snickered. "You be sure and let me know when you get hungry." That was a spectacle he planned on not missing. As long as she wasn't snacking on him of course.

"Alright." she said mildly and settled back on the couch.

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He picked out a bedroom for her to stay in and managed to get her into the shower but once in she merely stood there, unsure of what to do next. Finally he showed her what to do with the soap and shampoo and she got the gist. Normally he wouldn't care but she smelled like a slaughterhouse and was filthy. Filthy and dead. One had to draw the line somewhere.

Death had not done her intelligence any favors but she caught on to things quickly. As he sat on the bed waiting for her to finish her shower he thought of how he could use her. She could finally be that harbinger of destruction he'd always wanted her to be. Her potential could be realized. Ah yes, so many possibilities. He wondered if it were like the movies. If she bit someone did they become a zombie too? The idea of an army of zombie minions was tantalizing. Would she die if shot in the head? Did she eat flesh or brains, or both?

The bathroom door creaked open and she emerged, naked and dripping wet. Casually she sat down on the foot of the bed and directed her attention to the tv. She seemed to be inordinately fond of television now, something she never seemed to care much about while alive.

It was hard to believe this scarred and beaten creature was Samantha. _His _Samantha_._

Scarred and beaten because of _him_.

He'd never wanted her to be shot, hadn't wanted to watch her bleed to death before his eyes. He had claimed her as his own and her death hadn't been in the cards. No, her dying meant she was beyond his reach, her dying meant he would never find her again. It meant the games were over. That night dredged up uncomfortable feelings in him that he'd rather not have again. That night, watching her slip away while Gordon and all those SWAT men stood around them was a perfect example of why he liked to keep his emotional range limited.

But she was here now. A sense of triumph filled him at the notion that even in death she was his. And this time she had come to him.

The Joker made a mental note to find out more regarding the research at that lab. He wanted to find out about the chemical that had spilled. Whatever the chemical was it had to be the cause. What he wouldn't give to get ahold of _that._

"Samantha." he began, breaking her attention away from the television. "Are you sure you don't remember anything from before you woke up?"

She mulled it over a moment before answering. "Well...I remember pieces of things. Like dreams."

"Like?"

"Like _you_. I ate and then I knew I had to come visit you. Jack. Go see Jack."

He flinched. "Don't call me that."

"Well what then? J...Joker?" She laughed, or what passed for one. It was a guttural sound, a cross between a cough and a growl. Even in undeath she was still a bit of a smart ass.

"Don't call me anything."

Her glazed eyes regarded him and he got the feeling she was sizing him up, taking his measure. There was cunning there, there was thought. She was a little slow but her mental faculties appeared to be getting sharper by the hour. This was nothing like the movies where the zombies lurched around and yelled about brains. Yes, he'd definitely have to keep an eye on her. That was fine, he liked a challenge.

"Nothing. Okay then." she nodded. Then she added. "Well there was something else I remember......."

"And what was that?"

She stretched out on the bed languorously. His gaze traveled over the curves of her body, her long legs and the swell of her breasts. Her hair was spread out over the bedspread and the wounds only excited him further. His hands itched to touch them.

"This." Her hand slid lazily down her body, stopping between her legs. When he realized what she was doing he arched an eyebrow in amazement. He watched her closely, excitement roaring through him.

"Why Samantha." he giggled. "What a _dirty_ girl you've become."

In response she moaned and bit her bottom lip, her hand moving faster. He inched closer to her, enthralled at the sight before him. What little reservations he had about joining her were gone when she reached out and grabbed his groin with her free hand.

"Come here." she whispered. "Now."

He did just that. She unfastened his pants and his breath hitched when her cool hand closed around him.

"Put it inside me." she demanded, eyes feral and hungry. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him close. The desire to feel her overtook him and he ripped his gloves off, running his bare hands over her scars. The contrast of the ragged wounds and her smooth skin was exhilarating. They were the same now. Now they were both freaks.

Heart racing wildly, blood thundering in his head, he slid into her. She was cool but not cold. Her body reacted instantly, moving against him and he could already feel himself losing control. It felt so good and it had been too long. He'd almost forgotten how intense it was with her and he couldn't deny that he'd missed it. It was rage and pleasure and the pain of being so close to another human being. It was something he shouldn't want but he did anyway.

Unable to help himself he came, growling like an animal and squeezing her arms in ecstasy. Her legs remained around him and she continued to grind against him until he was able to go again. Her eyes were shut, chest heaving, and he couldn't tell if she'd come but judging by the sounds she made and the intensity of her movements she was enjoying herself quite a bit.

After the fourth time he had to pull himself away, gasping for breath and utterly exhausted. He didn't want to stop but his body demanded it. Samantha on the other hand was ready for more. He'd thought she was voracious before, she was like a machine now.

"I......I _have_ to stop." he panted. "I can only do that for so long ya know."

"Okay." she said, looking disappointed.

He was so tired that, against his better judgment, he fell asleep next to her.

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The sounds of yelling and the yelps of a dog awoke him.

"Put him down you crazy bitch!"

"Oh fuck, look what she did to Scruffy! Oh shit!"

His eyes snapped open and a quick scan of the room revealed Samantha was not there. The bedroom door was wide open.

"Follow the screams to find her." he muttered to himself, and stumbled out of bed.

When he got to the living room the scene before him made him laugh.

Samantha had one of his Rottweilers by the scruff of its neck and had it level to her face. He realized in amazement just how strong she was now. The dog was around 100 pounds and she held it aloft with one hand. The dog yelped miserably, paws flailing wildly in the air, and judging from the blood it looked as if she'd already taken a bite or two out of it. A couple of his men cowered in a corner, terrified.

"Ah Sam." he called out in exasperation. "Put the dog down. You _can't_ eat my dogs."

She spun around and fixed him with a look so possessive and animalistic it made him pause. It was the look a wild creature might give you if you tried to take its meal away.

"C'mon Sam, those are purebred, highly trained attack dogs. They're not food."

She glared at him for a moment and dropped the dog. It went running away to the kitchen with one of his men right after it. The other man, Glen, remained in the room with a thunderstruck look on his face.

"I wasn't hungry." she muttered resentfully.

"Well then _why_ were you biting the dog?"

"That was the dog..." Samantha motioned to her leg, to the bite mark. "_The _dog."

"I see. It's a _dog_ Sam, I wouldn't take it too personally." He realized she was right, it was the same dog that had bitten her.

Her attitude suddenly changed and she smiled at him, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. "Well it won't bite me again."

After he got her back into the bedroom he instructed Glen to put a lock on the bedroom door so he could lock her in if need be.

"And tie that damn dog up away from the others." he hissed. "_Far_ away."

Glen's mouth dropped open as if he wanted to say something. He thought better of it and hurried away to do as he was told.

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**A/N:** Hahaha, the Joker's gonna have his hands full with Sam. She's not like she used to be and things aren't going to get any better as we will soon find out. She's more like an animal now, hence her lack of modesty and wanting to fulfill her basic needs. Those being food and sex.

Hopefully this story won't offend people too badly. I just wanted to try something different. Like I said earlier, I may actually write a sequel to the Irredeemable series but Sam is gone so the storyline is gonna be tricky for me.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Welcome to a world without rules. LOL.

**CHAPTER THREE**

After the Scruffy incident he watched the afternoon news, hoping to get more info on the research lab. After the reports about how authorities were on the hunt for him and the obligatory masturbation piece about what a bad bad man he was he got his wish.

"_In other news, the tragic accident at HP Research is still shrouded in mystery."_

The picture showed a nondescript old building with police, firefighters and Hazmat workers milling around. Then it cut to a thin bespectacled man rushing down a sidewalk, followed by a pack of reporters. A street sign was clearly visible in the background. The Joker smiled. The media could be so helpful sometimes.

_"Dr. Herbert North, lead researcher and owner of the facility has declined to comment on the incident. Our reporters caught up with him at his home in the exclusive neighborhood of Covington Estates but he would not speak with us. Sources have told us the building and grounds surrounding it are considered a health risk to the public and that the area will be blocked off indefinitely. Gotham Today will give you more information on this story as it happens."_

What that meant, if anything, he didn't know. What he did know was he wanted to have a nice little chat with Mr. Herbert North. Soon.

He gathered some of his men together and told them of the day's assignment. Then he went to check on Samantha.

She was seated in her usual place at the foot of the bed, watching tv.

"I have some business to do Sam. I'll be back in a while. Just stay there and watch the ah....the tube while I'm gone."

She waved at him dismissively, then turned her attention back to the tv. A tennis match was on and she appeared fascinated by it.

Shaking his head he left the room and locked her in. He had a feeling if she really wanted out the locks wouldn't stop her but there wasn't much he could do about that right now. It was time to pay a visit to to that doctor fellow.

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Herbert North awoke to a dull ache in his skull. He opened his eyes and saw fieldstone walls. A smell of moldy potatos filled his nostrils.

'This isn't my house.' he thought dumbly and it came back to him. Working in his study and then a voice from behind him.

"Are you, ha, Mr. Dr. Herb-ert North?" the voice asked with mock officiousness. He spun around in his chair to face the person, outraged at this intrusion, and then.....blinding pain.

"Nevermind!" the voice said, giggling, and Herbert had fallen unconscious.

No, this wasn't his house at all. This was a cellar. A naked light bulb dangled over his head, the light blinding him. He realized with growing panic that he was tied to a large wooden chair and began to struggle against his bonds.

"Now now now." the voice said from somewhere beyond his vision. "Don't do that. Cause if ya do I'll have to _conk_ you over the head again."

"What is this?" Herbert whispered, twisting his head to get a look at the speaker.

"Well...._this_ is technically a kidnapping...but consider it a _meeting _if it makes you feel better. We need to talk Dr. North."

"If this is for ransom I assure you I can pay......"

At that moment a figure appeared before him and the words died in his mouth.

"Oh no." Herbert moaned.

The Joker snickered and pulled up a chair, seating himself uncomfortably close to Herbert.

"Oh, why is no one ever happy to see me? It could almost give a guy a complex, ya know?"

North merely stared at him, wondering what he'd done to deserve this.

"Ok, but seriously. I have some very important questions for you Dr. North."

"Like what? What could you possibly want from me?"

The Joker's eyes hardened, suddenly all business. "HP Research. I want to know everything you were up to over there and I want to know about that chemical."

Herbert blanched. "I couldn't possibly tell y...."

Quick as a flash a gloved hand fisted itself into his hair, pulling his head back painfully. Another hand held the shining blade of a knife to his throat.

"Oh but you _can_ tell me." the Joker whispered. "Try it. It'll be easy. Especially after I tell you how I'll cut you open and leave you here for the ah....rats to eat."

"Cadaver research." Herbert gasped. "The chemicals...there's two different ones. An inhibitor and a serum. The military wanted me to try it out."

"Now that's more like it. Ya see, I have a...friend who came to me yesterday. Turns out she was a resident at your lab when the accident happened. Are you following me Herbert?"

"Well I.....no not really."

The Joker sighed. "Then let me show you."

He left, his footsteps going up the cellar stairs. Herbert breathed a sigh of relief at having the knife and the madman away from him. A few mintues later he heard two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Dr. North....Samantha. I think you know her, hm?"

North raised his eyes to the figure standing before him and his fear vanished, replaced by wonder and a feeling of victory. He recognized this woman right away. He'd never seen her alive, just as a dead body in the facility. She'd been kept in a controlled climate cooler and injected with decomposition inhibitor. A few times he'd injected very small shots of the serum he'd developed directly into her brain. Nothing had ever happened and, short of test bodies, he'd left her alone. Bodies had been known to liquefy if injected with too much serum.

But now here she was, standing next to the Joker. Staring at him with a face as expressionless as that of an animal's. But alive. She was _alive_ now.

"Oh....oh my G...God." he babbled. "I wondered what happened to her....after the accident she just vanished....I mean...I just....my God."

"She found me." the Joker said proudly. "She came to Arkham."

Despite his predicament Herbert was excited. "The spill....that must have done something to her. It was the serum that was spilled."

The woman cocked her head at him curiously and he wondered if she remembered him. No, that was impossible. She had been dead when he worked on her. Then he thought about the bodies of his assistants. There had been two of them, both torn to pieces. Partially eaten. She'd done that. If that fire hadn't broken out and burned them to a crisp Gotham could have an epidemic right now. An epidemic that would make Crane's fear toxin look like an outbreak of the measles.

"Can she speak?" he asked eagerly. "How is she doing? Does she...."

"Shh shh shh." the Joker told him. "First you have to answer a few questions for me."

"Okay. Whatever you need to know."

"Good! Now...if she ahh, _chomps_ on someone will they end up like her?"

"I'm not really sure. We never had a successful human subject. We had animals and we experimented with bite transmission. Only once or twice did we have a successful contamination. The rest of the time the wound would either become infected and kill the bitten animal or it would simply heal like any other wound."

"Mmm-hmm. How about eating habits?"

"Well they only eat meat and most of the infected animals became extremely cannibalistic. What they ate in life they wouldn't touch after reanimation."

The Joker glanced at Samantha and snickered happily. "Well she did eat your workers and then she bit a few people at Arkham. Killed a doctor there too. How often do they eat?"

"At first every other day or so but after a while their appetites grow."

"Ah...what?"

North couldn't help but smile. Obviously the Joker thought he had a pet zombie, something obedient and dumb he could use as a weapon. But he didn't know what Herbert knew.

"And sometimes the test animals...changed. They started out slow but as time went on they got smarter, stronger, faster and much more violent. Some of them even started to mutate."

"Um...mutate?"

"Grew extra limbs, extra rows of teeth. Things like that. Animals without claws started growing them. We had a rabbit that started to change into a cross between a dog and a lizard. Quite ugly. It ended up dying, I never knew why. And with the rapid changes in their bodies comes the increased need for food."

For the first time the Joker looked concerned. "Hmm."

"I have no idea what would happen with a human."

The Joker clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "Well, _this_ is different."

'You have no idea what you're getting into.' Herbert thought smugly. He looked back on the test animals. An opossum that started to develop tumors on its back, but when the creature was cut open the "tumors" were revealed to be clawed feet growing benath the flesh. A cat whose tail lost all its fur and then turned hard and scaly with a curved spike on the tip. A rhesus monkey that began to transform into a bald, slimy thing with a wolflike head and double rows of three inch fangs. That one had died too, much to Herbert's chagrin. The rest he'd lost, dead in the fire at the lab.

What would happen with a human? he wondered. The possibilties were wonderous.

"If you'll let me examine her I could tell you a lot more about her." he said hopefully. He didn't give a damn that he was being held captive by the Joker, all he wanted was to inspect this test subject. She was his success, his prize.

"I'll let you examine her if _she'll_ let you. And don't try anything funny, hm? She's _mine_."

Herbert wondered at that comment but chose not to think of the connotations.

The Joker undid his bindings and looked over at the woman.

"Samantha, this man is going to look at you.. He wants to make sure you're okay."

"Fine." she said in a raspy voice.

Herbert approached her warily. She didn't seem to be aggressive so he started to check her out.

"Her heartbeat and pulse are slow, but they're there. That's a good sign."

The Joker frowned. "She didn't have either of those yesterday."

"Well she does now. Most of the subjects started to recover very quickly after being brought back. I think its safe to say she'll be the same. Her mind will get sharper and her speech will probably improve."

Her skin was not as cold as he thought it would be. Definitely cooler than a living person's but not as cold as a corpse's. He looked into her eyes, holding his hands in front of them to test her eyesight and reflexes.

"Reflexes are good. Were her eyes always that color?"

"Green and ah, yellow."

"Well, they're turning yellow."

The Joker looked for himself and Herbert could see the apprehension on his face.

"Yeah...her eyes weren't like that before."

Samantha abruptly reached out and touched the Joker's arm. "Jack."

"I ah _told_ you not to call me that." the Joker huffed, pulling away from her hand. Herbert smirked. _Jack?_

"Joker?" she said doubtfully.

"No. Nothing."

"Oh, right." she moved closer to him. "Are we going to do what we did last night? Think you can....keep up?" She smiled innocently.

Herbert's eyes went wide in shock and gaped at the Joker, hoping she meant anything but what he thought she meant. Casting him a sheepish look the Joker merely shrugged.

"We have a history." he explained, as if that made it all right.

"Surely you're not having s....sex with her. Do you realize how dangerous that could be?"

_Not to mention sick_, he thought.

"We have a history." the Joker repeated.

"I don't know if bodily fluids can transmit. If it does.....well lets just say you might want to use a condom next time." Herbert wasn't completely surprised at Samantha's behavior. To see their reaction he had once put reanimated rats in a cage with normal rats. The results had been unexpected. They tried to mate with the normal rats. Later on, as they changed, they began to kill and eat the normal ones instead.

The Joker snickered. "Too late for _that_."

Shaking his head in disgust Herbert continued to look Samantha over. For the first time he noticed she was wearing light blue scrubs that had **ARKHAM** stenciled on the front and back. He wondered how she'd come across that outfit and then recalled the Joker saying she had come to him at Arkham. Incredible that so soon after being revived she had the presence of mind to find him. More than that, she remembered the Joker. And why would she have wanted to see him? He knew the basics of their story, mainly that he had taken her captive. If it weren't for him she'd still be alive. She should be wanting to chew his legs off, not screw him.

"How much will she remember from before?" the Joker asked him.

"Honestly? I have no clue."

The Joker stared at Samantha for a long time. Then with great reluctance he asked. "Is there a way to, ah, reverse it?"

"Sure. By killing her. That's the only way."

But the Joker had no intention of doing that, Herbert could tell from the look on his face.

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**A/N:** Herbert North = Herbert West from Reanimator. HP Reasearch = HP Lovecraft, author of the Reanimator books, among other things.


	4. Chapter 4

**A-N:** A bit of suggestive zombie on human stuff towards the end!

I plan on writing some more serious Joker stuff. I have a few ideas outlined, if you want to know more visit my LiveJournal and say hi!

You can find the link on my FF profile page.

**CHAPTER FOUR**

It was four am and Samantha was still watching tv. Everyone was asleep, even the Joker. He slept around four hours a night, sometimes less. Samantha didn't sleep at all. Not anymore. Luckily she didn't get bored easily. The pictures on the television screen held her interest. At first she watched but understood little, now she knew what was going on.

Her thoughts wandered to the little snippets of her life. The memories were becoming more and more frequent. Most of them were about _him_. He had been her first thought after hunting down those men at the lab. She hadn't understood but she had obeyed.

But now she was beginning to understand. The most troubling memory was of being slouched over, feeling the warmth of her own blood soaking her, the weakness. _Dying._ A strange sensation of anxiety at seeing the Joker on the floor. There were other men surrounding him, men with faceplates and uniforms. There was one man dressed unlike the others and he wore glasses. He seemed upset, unlike the others. Samantha felt an odd pain in her chest at the sight of him.

The Joker had told her something but she was falling, losing herself. _She had died._

She looked down at the Joker, fully clothed on the bed.

"Wake up." she shook him roughly. "Hey. Get up Joker, now."

He squinted his eyes irritably. "What?? And I _told_ you not to call me that."

"Tell me everything that happened."

He sighed, shaking his head groggily. "Don't you think it could wait Sam? I'm, ah, trying to sleep."

"No, it can't wait."

He glared at her and she had the feeling at one time that look would have made her nervous. But now....now it only made her want to do things to him. She cast that feeling aside. This was more important.

He blew a frustrated sigh and lifted himself onto his elbows. "Just what is it you need to know? Hm? How you died? How you couldn't bring yourself to stay away from me? Oh do tell."

"What did you say to me before I...I...died?"

He laughed at her. "What, you didn't hear it? And what does it matter now?"

"I want to know. So tell me."

His eyes darkened. "I'm not telling you." His voice was childishly stubborn.

Rage unexpectedly flashed through her and it was all she could do to hold it back. She knew enough about her old self to realize this was out of character for her. The same feeling had come over her at the sight of that dog. After a moment it passed and she looked into his face, a face she was putting more and more memories with.

"Fine then." she said calmly. "How's that leg doing? You know, from when I shot you."

Disbelief flashed across his face and he grinned viciously. "Looks like someone is getting her brain back. What else do you remember Sam?"

"Enough." she responded shortly. She thought of the man still imprisoned in the cellar. "That doctor....I want to talk to him."

"Oh _Sam_...he can't tell you anything you don't already know. You heard what he said, you know what happened to you. You should be happy, you're back from the dead and you're _better_. Think of this as a _gift_."

She didn't consider being an undead cannibalistic monster who might soon transform into a thing from an HP Lovecraft book a "gift" but of course the Joker would. Then again it wasn't happening to _him_. Not yet anyway.

"Well I'm getting a little hungry, so unless you want to experience this "gift" firsthand you may want to get me some food." She said it casually but inwardly she recoiled. She didn't recall much of what she'd done at the lab or at Arkham but the little flashes of recollection she did have made her feel ill. There had been ravenous hunger and then killing. Eating. The men had died so easily at her hands, the life crushed from them as if they were mere mice.

She knew it would be that way again and no matter how she felt about it now when the time came she'd gleefully rip someone apart and devour them.

"Mmmm." the Joker breathed, as if the very idea of her "eating" turned him on. "I've been waiting on you to say that."

He sat all the way up and edged close to her. Samantha stared at him, wondering who was the more messed up between the both of them. Him, it had to be him. At least she had an excuse for being the way she was. The Joker on the other hand........

He brought his mouth close to her ear. "And when you do it....I'm gonna _watch_."

His breath was husky with excitement and she shut her eyes, trying to sublimate the dark arousal he awakened in her.

"I'm gonna _watch_." he repeated. "So make it good, hm? I want to see you in, um, in _action_."

He growled and bit down hard on her earlobe. There was no pain, she didn't feel much in the way of pain anymore. Pleasure was different, she felt that intensely.

"You'll see." she answered, albeit shakily. "You might want to stay out of my way while I'm doing it though. I might get....carried away and want more after I'm done."

That only seemed to turn him on even more. He let go of her earlobe and started on her throat, his teeth and tongue biting and scraping her deceptively soft flesh.

Unable to take it she shoved him back onto the bed, causing him to giggle.

"Hmmm Sam, a lit-tle aggressive aren't we? Just _how_ aggressive you are is the question." The challenge in his voice was unmistakable.

"You haven't seen anything yet." she answered, climbing on top of him. "Just wait."

Impatiently she ripped the front of his shirt open, sending buttons flying. His chest and torso were nicely muscled and criss-crossed with scars of various ages, testaments of just how long he'd lived his life in the service of anarchy. For a moment Samantha admired them, then she went for his pants.

"Now _that's_ more like it." he whispered.

He was willing to go along with anything she dished out.

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**A-N: **So Sam's getting her memories back but she's taking the whole undead thing pretty well. Having the Joker by your side would kind of take the sting out of it though.

And yes I realize this story is absurd, that's the idea! I'm having quite a bit of fun with it.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **There's violence in this chapter and stuff that some may find rather disgusting. Fair warning!

**CHAPTER FIVE**

_It's a new dawn_

_It's a new day_

_It's a new life_

_For me_

_And I'm feeling good._

"Feeling Good"

Muse's version.

As Sam waited for the Joker to let her know when it was time she examined herself in the bathroom mirror. She had not looked at herself in a while and wished she hadn't started.

Her eyes were sunken and a baleful yellow color, the green almost entirely gone. Her hair was tangled and dull, when she ran her fingers through it it came out easily. But the most worrying thing were her hands. Her nails felt loose and there were little black dots on the very tip of each finger and thumb. When she bared down on them they felt hard underneath her skin. Further examination revealed her toes were the same way.

She stripped naked and looked herself over. Her ribcage was clearly visible and her backbone protruded much further than normal. All in all she looked like someone who had been starved to near death.

_'But I feel good.'_ she thought. In fact she felt great. Strong. Capable. And very very hungry.

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He had taken the doctor out of the cellar and brought two of his henchmen down there. As she descended the wooden steps Samantha saw that they were digging a hole. Evidently the Joker had gotten them down there under the ruse of digging a grave.

She glanced over her shoulder at the Joker who was standing at the top of the stairs, waiting. He nodded towards the men, eager for the show to begin. The hunger was bad now, tearing at her insides, making her thoughts pinpoint on the men and how she needed them. Nothing else mattered but eating. As she got to the bottom both of the men looked up.

"What are you doing down here?" one of them asked.

She didn't answer, just approached them and grabbed the nearest one. He let out a yelp of surprise as she threw him easily onto the dirt floor. The other one uttered an astonished curse and raised his shovel to hit her. She clutched his hand, squeezing hard until he yelled with pain and dropped the shovel. He tried to squirm out of her grip and she grabbed his head, slamming it into the stone wall with a loud thudding noise.

Unconscious, he slumped to the floor and she turned her attention to the first one. He was getting up and she slammed her foot into his chest, pinning him down.

"Whatever you're gonna do....don't. _Please._" he pleaded, his eyes wide, all bravado gone.

She knelt down, her body covering his. The expression on his face was sheer terror, as if he were looking at a monster. Through her cold haze she dimly wondered just what it was he was seeing. It couldn't be _her._ If she'd had the presence of mind to appreciate it she would have found it funny. She lowered her head and clamped her jaws over his throat, squeezing down until his trachea crushed under the pressure. He thrashed and wheezed piteously but she kept him pinned, unrelenting in her grip on his neck, waiting for him to suffocate to death. After a while his struggling subsided and she turned her attention to the other man.

She knew what she wanted and was glad the shovels were there, they would make her job much easier. Lifting the implement high she brought it down on his head, over and over, until his skull was crushed. She wanted what meat she could strip off their bodies but she also had a strong desire for their brains.

She ate. At one point during the struggle she had scraped her left hand against the rough wall and one of the bumps beneath her fingertip had burst through the skin. At the time she'd paid no mind to it, intent only on feeding. Now that she was satiated she looked at her hand curiously. Sticking through her fingertip was a sharply pointed black claw.

For a long moment she gazed at her hand and then to the bodies. The white of exposed bone gleamed in the cellar's dim light. Blood and gore was spattered throughout the room.

_I did this._

A noise on the stairs drew her attention. In her frenzy she'd forgotten about the Joker_._ He practically skipped down the steps, eyes bright with joy.

"That....that was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my _life._" he raved gleefully.

Samantha stared at him as he approached her. He had watched her and had obviously loved it. Dull anger filled her. To him she was one of his dogs, or one of his goons. A source of amusement and a weapon. She'd killed two men as if they were insects and he still thought she belonged to him.

He came to her and pulled her up. "Now that, that was spec-tacular." he continued. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, a testament to how excited he was.

She regarded him, thinking of what she could do to him. It would be easy, too easy. Instead she backed away.

"I'm going to leave." she told him abruptly.

For a second he merely stared at her, one eyebrow cocked in confusion.

"I'm leaving." she repeated. "Don't try to stop me. You _can't_ stop me."

The quizzical look left his face and he laughed spitefully. "Oh....okayyy Sam. And where are ya gonna go? Tell me, do ya think you can get a job and live a normal life now? Look at yourself."

"I have looked at myself. I'll manage. If I have to I'll live in the woods." That was her only alternative, she realized. There was no place for her to go. Not the way she was now.

He laughed uproariously at this statement. "Sure you will. Until you get hungry and then you'll hunt someone down and....ah....." he made a throat slitting motion.

"Get away from me." she snarled, pushing him out of her way.

The Joker was not to be deterred though. He grabbed her, pulling her close to him. "Just stay here with me Sam.....I'll take care of you." he said it in such a mocking way she shuddered with rage.

"Take care of me? You'll sic me on people like I'm one of your dogs and then when I....change you'll probably leave me in this cellar and throw bodies down for me to eat. Well I'm not one of your fucking dogs and I'm not one of your flunkies. Now let me go before I do something that I really don't want to do."

He didn't let her go, he only moved closer to her. "Really Sam, you're so....melodramatic. No, you need to stay here. Because I _want_ you to."

She held her hand in front of his face so he could see the claw erupting from her finger. "Melodramatic????? I'm growing CLAWS. I'm gonna turn into a.....God knows what. And I know you're going to use me to spread this...if it can be spread."

His brow furrowed at the sight of her hand and then he collapsed into helpless giggles.

"Claws? Claws??" he managed to get out before dissolving into another fit of laughter.

"Oh fuck this." she muttered and started to step past him. In an instant he had her arm, yanking her back towards him.

"NO. I told you.....you're not going anywhere." His tone was menacing but Samantha found it didn't intimidate her one bit. She had planned on leaving with as little violence as possible but it wasn't going to happen. It was time to show him the balance of power had shifted.

"You listen to me." she growled, shaking herself from his grip and advancing on him. "I'll do whatever the fuck I want now. You have no leverage over me anymore."

Her voice had turned into a horrible grating sound that was like nothing human but she didn't notice. She grabbed his shoulders and shoved her face close to his.

"You hide behind your make-up and your goons and your mutts. You're a coward. You act like you hate society and the people who rule it. But you _do_ care....don't you? All the things you've done, the time and the effort you've put into blowing things up......it proves that you care and that you're hurt."

She scanned his face, noting the fury behind his mocking sneer. But there was also something else. Fear? Surely not. Probably shock. She had turned on him, something he hadn't considered.

"I see it." she continued. "You're still that same kid at the factory. Think I forgot? I didn't. I saw the pain and I see it now. The world cast you aside as a reject and a freak and it bothered you so badly that you just _had_ to get even didn't you? You're just a child throwing a tantrum for attention."

He started to say something and she shook him hard, cutting off his words.

"You see _Jack_ I'm nothing like you. I don't have to hide, I'm above you and the rest of your kind. _Humans_. And you _are_ a human, much as you'd like to think otherwise. No, I don't have to be afraid or hurt. I don't have to blow things up to make myself feel better. Go ahead and keep chasing the Batman, trying to prove some half-assed point no one but yourself gives a shit about. I could care less about society and people...and I could care less about you. You know why? You're beneath me. You can't feed me pills to keep me under your control, you can't threaten me anymore. You don't scare me. I'm stronger than you and there's not a damn thing you can do to me. _I'm beyond you._"

She loosened her grip on him and backed away.

"I'm going now. Don't try to stop me, if you do I'll kill you. If you send your men after me you'll lose every one of them. You may not care about them but you need some of them to help you."

She smiled at him in false pity. "So sad. Pathetic, actually."

He came at her then, the blade of his switchblade appearing from nowhere. Samantha had wondered if he'd snap under her mockery and he hadn't disappointed. The point of the knife came to a stop at her throat, stopping just short of piercing her. His eyes were insane, furious. But as angry as he was, he couldn't do it. Whether in fear it wouldn't kill her or something else she wasn't sure.

"Nice speech Sam.....oh very nice. But here's the thing......here's what I really want to know." His voice had reverted into a high pitched, quavering tone that came when he was particularly worked up.

She nodded at him to continue and the point of the knife dug into her neck a bit more. It didn't hurt and she wasn't afraid.

"If I run this through your neck will you die? Or what if I take my gun and blow your brains out....that is if they haven't all rotted away by now. What do you think, hm?"

Her eyes softened as they stared each other down. They did indeed have a history, just as he'd told the doctor. She knew the Joker better than anyone else did. And despite everything that had happened he had never let her down. It was a shame to leave him like this.

"I think you'll never get the chance to try." she responded and before he could react she grabbed his wrist and deftly twisted the knife away. With sheer force she brought his arm up and sank her teeth into it, biting down as hard as she could manage. His flesh give way and Samantha could feel the hard core of bone underneath her teeth. Only then did she stop. With a quick shake of her head she let go, tearing out a fair sized chunk of meat.

He never made a sound while she did it, didn't even try to fight back. In the back of her mind she wondered if this was what he'd wanted. Backhanding the blood from her mouth she watched as he sank to the floor.

"You might die from the bite, you might live. Maybe you'll get this "gift" that I have." she said and his eyes lifted to hers. There was no anger in those black pits now, only mirth and satisfaction. Yes, she'd done what he wanted.

"You can go." he said in a strange singsong voice. "But you'll come back....eventually you will. Won't you Sam? You always do."

She didn't answer, only turned and walked away.

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She was sitting in the woods, a few miles away from the old farmhouse from which she'd left. After leaving the Joker she had went upstairs and come across one of his men....Glen.

"Give me your clothes. Keep your underwear." she'd ordered and he had undressed hurriedly. The clothes were too big and his shoes were enormous but she couldn't walk around barefoot in bloodsoaked Arkham Asylum clothing.

After she'd gotten the clothes she'd grabbed a lighter from the kitchen table and a small canister of kerosene from the back porch. None of the Joker's men dared to stop her. As she made her way through the overgrown back yard she'd heard the rattle of a chain and an odd panting sound. Looking around she saw it was the dog, the one she'd bitten. It looked awful, its hair was coming out and the bite area was inflamed and oozing with a putrid greenish-brown fluid.

Shrugging to herself she started to walk past it, then changed her mind.

"Bite me again and that'll be it for you." she warned before unfastening the chain from its collar. The dog stood, shook itself off vigorously, then fixed her with a curious look. Its eyes were a familiar yellow color.

As she turned to leave the dog followed her. She decided not to stop it and they went on their way, heading for the woods.

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And now here they were. Samantha sat on a rotted log and tried to think of what to do next. There was nothing. She had nowhere to go and she was a ticking time bomb. As was the dog lying at her feet.

She looked at the kerosene. If her mind started to go, if the changes became too much she'd kill herself and the dog. The dog was changing too and she couldn't let it live for too much longer. It was a pity, she was beginning to like it.

When the chemical spill had occurred in the lab there had been a fire. No one had ever explained but she thought she knew what had caused it. The men she'd killed, they'd tried to burn her, maybe even tried to burn the whole building down. They had known it would kill her. But somehow she'd gotten to them first.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember. Nothing came to her. That whole time frame was a giant blank, a mystery.

"Well dog." she said to her companion. "I guess we'll just sit here for a while....and try to figure out what to do next."

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**A/N: **An odd chapter. I'm not sure how I feel about it but I liked the idea of Sam wholly turning against the Joker and showing her muscle, so to speak. And she made friends with Scruffy! haha.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

_One week later_

Samantha had originally planned to stay in the woods but hunger had weakened her resolve. Despite her strength she wasn't agile or fast enough to catch wild animals. They weren't what she needed anyway. One day she had ventured back to the farmhouse, thinking to grab some of the Joker's men when they ventured out. But after watching it for a while she realized it was empty. The Joker was gone, no doubt to a new hideout.

After that she'd ditched the kerosene jug and made her way to the city, all thoughts of burning herself gone. The dog tagged along for a while and then vanished. She assumed it was hungry too and wondered what it ate. She walked and walked, never tiring, until one evening she came into Gotham. By this time she was ravenous and being so close to so many people was torture. Luckily she'd wandered into one of the seedier parts of town, so no one paid the haggard woman with weird eyes any mind. Her nails had all come off and each of her fingers had sprouted claws so she was mindful to keep her hands in her pockets.

She had decided not to attack people that seemed nice and instead go after the scum. There were enough of those to keep her fed for an eternity.

In no time she had stalked and killed a pimp in a deserted alleyway and an unfortunate hooker who had tried to intervene. She hadn't wanted to kill the woman but she'd made the fatal error of coming at her while she was in the throes of hunger and bloodlust.

She'd eaten well, taken their money (the pimp had a pretty decent amount) and salvaged a nice hooded leather coat and gloves from the pimp. The hooker had a pair of cheap sunglasses in her purse and she'd taken those too. Some of the money was used to rent a motel room. After taking a much needed shower Samantha had sat back and watched tv.

And then she'd seen the news. Breaking story. A grainy videotape of _him_. Sitting in some shabby hideout, black eyes darting here and there, smacking his lips impatiently as he went on about something or other. When she'd first started watching she was surprised to find she almost missed him. His smell of gasoline, gun oil and sweat. Of how rough he was. How utterly ruthless. And then....

_"I'm gonna slice em and make em bleed. A whole family. Just for you. Think of what bothers you most....well that's what's gonna happen."_

Samantha knew he was addressing her, challenging her. And she knew exactly what he meant to do. Her memories were almost completely intact now and she recalled Commissioner Gordon vividly.

"_But maybe if you deliver yourself to me you can stop it. Then we'll see how above the humans you really are."_

"Let's go fucker." she muttered to the television. "Let's play."

Shortly after she left the motel and made her way to Gordon's home, letting her memory guiding her.

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Gordon pulled into his driveway. It was a cold night and as he walked up the sidewalk he pulled his coat close, trying to block out the pelting sleet. He was happy to be home, eager to forget about the city's problems. As if that could ever happen. Every waking moment was spent worrying. And now the Joker was becoming bolder.....

The previous day Dr. Herbert North's body had been dumped on the steps of GCPD. He'd been given a Chelsea smile and disemboweled. In his coat pocket was a videotape. Gordon hated the sight of videotapes, they were inexorably linked in his mind to the Joker and torture and madness.

Of course this tape delivered more of the same. It mostly contained the Joker gloating about breaking out of Arkham, the usual taunting of Batman and the authorities. But then he launched into a cryptic tirade that had baffled everyone.

_"You think I'm a coward? You think I'm ah...beneath you? Well I've got a little surprise for you girly. I know what makes you tick. I know your weak spots and I'm gonna cut at em. I'm gonna slice em and make em bleed. A whole family. Just for you. Think of what bothers you most....well that's what's gonna happen. But maybe if you deliver yourself to me you can stop it. Then we'll see how above the humans you really are. _

_Oh and you people watching this....you _will_ put it on tv. Every last network.....if you doooon't I might get ah, mad, and blow something up. A school or a nursing home maybe? Goodnight!"_

With that the tape had ended and everyone scrambled around, trying to figure out just who he was talking to. In the end they could only put it on tv and pray someone would come forward. So far no one had.

He was so lost in his thoughts and in such a hurry to get into the house he almost missed the thin voice that called out to him from the dark.

"_Hey."_

He spun, hand on his gun, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. Nothing. The darkness closed around him, suddenly oppressive.

Dear God if it was _him_..........

"I'm not the Joker." the voice said, as if reading his mind. "And you don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not here to hurt you."

It sounded female but carried a guttural tone to it that was wholly unnatural.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Come out where I can see you."

A movement to his left and a figure appeared. It was swathed in dark clothing and wore a hood. For a moment he was reminded of Batman...but this was definitely not him.

"I've been waiting for you Jim. I remember you."

Something about the voice made him shudder and he brought his gun up. "Tell me who you are and why you're here."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. But I will tell you why I'm here. The Joker will come after you."

"How do you know this?" Gordon took a step towards the person and noticed how they stiffened nervously.

"I know the Joker very well. I know you very well. And I'm the person he's addressing on the tape."

That voice bothered Gordon, he knew it but couldn't place it. The figure itself seemed female, even shrouded in thick clothing.

"Please tell me who you are." he said simply, taking another step. Suddenly he wasn't wary of this person.

"Do you really want to know that?" A terrible, choking laugh followed the question.

"Yes."

And suddenly the figure was close to him, right in his face. The low hood was pushed back and Gordon was barely able to stifle a horrified gasp.

This was barely a human. Its eyes were a flat yellow and sunken so deeply they reminded him of the Joker's charcoal ringed eyes. Gloves covered the hands but were tattering at the fingertips.....tattering because each finger held a wickedly curved black talon.

But the face....as white and gaunt as that face was he still recognized it.

"Samantha? Oh.......my God." he began to back away, blindly trying to get away from this thing that resembled a dead woman.

"Yes." she replied simply and a wan smile crossed her face, revealing a mouthful of nightmarish teeth. Gordon swallowed. Suddenly he just wanted to get away from this person, no matter who she might be.

"But...but you're _dead._"

"Only half." she answered and laughed humorlessly.

"I saw you die....right in front of me. I saw you in the morgue."

She winced. "Did you know they took my body to a research facility? That's what I get for checking the 'donate my body to science' option on the back of my driver's license. Remember the accident at that lab a while back? That's where I was. I'm that missing corpse they were talking about."

He sighed and shook his head helplessly. "This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. And I've heard a lot."

"Agreed. If this were a story I'd think the author was on some serious medication. But it isn't a story and this is very important."

Samantha studied Gordon's face. He was a man grounded in reason, the sight of someone he'd thought to be dead for months was understandably hard for him to accept. She thought of a discussion they'd once had.

"You once told me there were still people who believed in the Batman, people who didn't believe he was a murderer. And then you gave me cookies that your kids made. Anyway.....the question is.....do you still believe in him Gordon?"

He stared at her, stunned.

"Yes." he finally answered.

"Good! Now, we have a lot to talk about. But right now Barbara is probably worried sick about you. Go into your house, eat dinner, see your family. When you're ready to talk come outside. I'll be here."

"I'm ready now." he answered but she was gone, melding into the shadows effortlessly.

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**A/N: **I guess Sam's "you suck and I'm outta here" speech to the Joker last chapter didn't take.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Later that night, after his family had went to bed, he came back out and they talked. Samantha told him everything, from what she could remember at Arkham to when she'd left the farmhouse. Gordon took it all in with the look of a man who was sure he was dreaming and would soon wake up. The only thing she didn't tell him was about her new dietary preferences. It was bad enough he had to see her as a mutating zombie _thing_, he didn't need to know she was a murderer and cannibal as well.

"So you're saying the accident at the lab and the Joker's escape from Arkham _all at the same time_ is just a coincidence?" he asked incredulously.

"I guess. It had to be. He had no idea about me being there."

"And you went to him after you...you..."

"Yeah. I don't know why. Well, I do know but I can't explain it to you."

"You don't have to Samantha. He sent us a tape, before we found you two in the Narrows."

"I can only guess what was on it." she murmured, looking away from Gordon's gaze.

"Right. Well, I won't even ask why. I can't pretend to understand so I'll just let it go at that."

"I used to know him." she blurted out. "A long time ago. He didn't have the scars. I'd forgotten about him until he said something...and then I realized."

"What? Samantha, that could be our break...we could find out who he really is with that information."

"His name was Jack. I don't even remember his last name. Started with an N maybe. Look, that's not important right now. The tape that was played on tv.....when he said he was gonna get a family and he knew my weakness....I'm pretty sure he was talking about you and your family."

He had been afraid of that but hearing it from her only confirmed it. "Jesus Christ, I've got to get them out of here Sam....we can't just sit here and chat while....."

"No. It's fine." she interrupted. "He wanted me to deliver myself up to him and he knew that was the only way I'd do it. So just be calm. I'm not going anywhere, I won't let anything happen to you or your family."

Gordon laughed. "How can you stop him?"

"Oh I can. I'm not a human anymore. Look at me!"

"Sam....I need to know what you're planning to do if he shows up here. Because I'm _this_ close to making some calls. I'm not going to risk my family's safety."

"If you get the entire Gotham PD out here it will just make him escalate. He'll take it as a challenge. You can call your bat friend if you want but I don't think he'll take too kindly to me. And the sight of him will definitely whip the Joker into a frenzy. He's obsessed with him, just like he is with me. But for different reasons."

"What is it with you two anyway?"

She shrugged. "Honestly? Not a clue. It has something to do with when we worked together. I was nice to him? Fuck, I don't know. There's the sex thing but it goes beyond that."

"That's enough." Gordon said curtly. His revulsion was clear.

"I know I've disappointed you. And I'm sorry. But know this, that night I called you and told you he was at my house....I did it because he threatened you. If I were such a terrible person I would have let it slide. But I couldn't. And that night in the Narrows, he wanted me to escape with him, then he was going to blow that building up with you and those men and Batman in it. But I couldn't go. Even if I hadn't been shot I wouldn't have gone. He knows you're my weak spot, that if I have to make a choice I will choose you every time. And he hates it. He'll use it against me."

She glanced at him and smiled sadly, then looked away in embarrassment. For the first time that night she looked like the old Samantha, the woman he'd befriended.

"Thank you." he said.

"You don't have to thank me. I like you. And as for what I'll do if he shows up.....I'll turn myself over to him. Maybe that'll appease him. If it doesn't I'll kill him. I should've killed him before I left but I couldn't. Since he insists on making a problem of himself though........"

"And if he brings his thugs?"

She grinned, unintentionally showing her sharp teeth in her eagerness. "Leave them to me. Actually he may have a hard time convincing them to get anywhere near me."

She was wondering if he would even show up. What if she were wrong? But that was impossible, the message had been for her. The Joker had known she wouldn't stay in the forest for long, that she'd come back to the city. He knew she liked tv and would see the tape.

And the sick crazy thing about it was that she was looking forward to this.

She inhaled deeply, smelling the damp air, hearing the sleet tapping onto the sidewalk. Samantha no longer felt cold or heat but she imagined Gordon was freezing. Seeing him looking so confused and miserable made her feel guilty for bringing him into this mess.

"Do you have your gun with you?" she asked softly.

"I have two." he answered and she laughed.

"Well keep the second for yourself. I don't get hurt easily _and_ I have natural weaponry." she held her clawed hand up and noted the look of pity on his face.

"It's not so bad." she explained. "Really. I don't want drugs anymore and I feel better than I ever did when I was alive. Of course I'm losing my looks but....oh well. Sacrifices, y'know?"

For the first time that night he laughed and shook his head. "You can just roll with anything can't you Sam?"

"Don't have much of a choice do I? Anyways...I'm extremely strong, I see pretty well in the dark, my senses are better, I don't feel much in the way of pain. Can't beat that."

Of course she was making light of it. In another week there would be no telling what she might become. What scared her more than anything was losing herself, becoming an animal. And now the doctor was dead....if there was a way to slow the transformation down she'd never know.

A black SUV prowled down the street, headlights off. As it neared Gordon's home it slowed to a crawl.

"Stay back and watch the house." she told him and moved through the yard, sticking to the shadows as she went.

The vehicle stopped. The windows were tinted and even with her superior eyesight she couldn't tell how many people were in it.

She wanted to keep watching but leaving Gordon was foolish so she came back to him.

"They're parked. Can't tell how many are in there."

"It could just be kids." he said. She nodded but she knew it wasn't.

"Whatever happens....trust me." she told him. "If I leave with him, if you think I'm in danger don't interfere. Just let me go."

He said nothing, unwilling to make that promise.

A rustling sound came from some nearby bushes and they both spun towards it. It was only a large dog.

A dog.

"Scruffy? You found me?" she whispered and saw the stubby tail wag in response.

"What the hell is _that_ thing?" Gordon asked in horror.

Scruffy's hair had almost completely fallen out, revealing shiny gray skin criss-crossed with veins. His eyes glowed like yellow lanterns and ropes of drool dripped from his fanged mouth. Despite his appearance Samantha was happy to see him.

"Well he _was_ a dog until I bit him. My bite spreads something, like a virus. It can either kill something or turn it into a monster or it can do nothing. Oh, I forgot to tell you that I bit the Joker. It should be interesting to see how he's doing."

"Why didn't you tell me........." Gordon started furiously and she shushed him. Someone was coming.

She motioned for him to stay back and crept towards the footsteps. The gate to Gordon's yard creaked open and she heard an angry hiss at the noise. Mumbling, someone apologizing.

Idiots, thinking they could sneak through without her hearing them. There were five of them, trying to move quietly and about as subtle as a herd of buffalo in their heavy boots and long coats. If she could tell which one was the Joker she could grab him, without him the other men would be useless. Unfortunately they were all wearing those damn clown masks. She'd have to go by posture and body language. The important thing was making sure they didn't get anywhere near the house.

One of them straggled behind a little, his gait a combination of limp and a jerky scuttle that reminded her of a spider.

_Gotcha_ she thought smugly and, silent as death, crept up behind him.

"Looking for me?" she whispered.


End file.
